today. Driver Development It is still unclear which driver would work best for an IFE power plant, with supporters of different driver pushing their favorite approach. Lasers have thus far proven to be the most well researched. Below is a summary of the laser drivers that have been studied. The challenge with implementing laser systems does not just come from the beam, but also the optics, mirrors, amplifiers and gratings that are also needed to put this system in place. Related Driver Technologies Depending on the driver that is being used there are key related technologies that need to be matured; below are some of these: Glass that can handle the laser energy (Joules) crossing through the glass cross section (meters^2) and not melt or get damaged. The glass is then used to make mirrors, lenses, gratings or windows inside the power plant. Amplifiers that can be used to increase the power of the laser beam. Compressors that can compress the laser beam or ion beam in space and time to increase the overall on-target power. Pulsed Power systems that can deliver the megajoules needed to either a laser, ion-beam or solid object driver. The workhorse of pulsed power (the Marx Generator) has limitations for an ICF plant and research has gone into Linear transformer driver as an alternative power source. Laser Diodes are used as the first step in transferring electrical energy into light energy to initiate the laser beam. Such systems can be expensive and are not needed for excimer lasers. Phase-Plate Smoothing is a technique to smooth out laser beams in solid-state laser systems. Target Development There are many kinds of targets that have been developed for ICF research - but a power plant would require thousands if not millions of identical targets to be fired repeatedly. This will be exceedingly challenging. At present, the Department of Energy contracts with General Atomics to produce ICF targets for the national laboratories. These targets are partially built at GA and then shipped across the country to the ICF facility for a shot day. The Laboratories maintain hardware and staff onsite to complete the last steps to prepare the targets for a shot. Target Example Glass Shell targets were spheres of glass on stalks and filled with DT gas; these were some of the earliest targets. Overcoated targets involve growing chemical materials over a shell target. This can be done